Time: Are You Wasting, Spending, or Investing It?

I have heard that there are only three things to do with time: waste it, spend it, or invest it. I want to use every hour that I have INVESTING it in ways that matter. I don’t always, but I’m becoming more and more accustomed to thinking like this, and it’s changing my life.

When I wake up on Sundays, I don’t think about how tired I am from the teen trip we just got back from or the things we have to do after church to get ready for the week ahead, I think about CHURCH. The lesson/sermon I get to deliver, the possibility of people accepting Christ today, the kids that could “get it” today, all those that need encouragement. It helps me INVEST my time rather than wasting it or just spending it.

I try my best to make every Monday a family day, where I don’t get on the computer, make calls, or run ministry errands…I just chill with my family. But I don’t wake up and think, “Whewww, finally a day to just sit on the couch, eat ice cream, and watch TV!” I think, “What would Jessica and the girls want to do today? How can I best INVEST my time into them?” Doing this helps me go to bed Monday nights realizing that I’ve honored my family and helped them see how much I genuinely value them and love them. Investment versus wasting.

When I help plan out worship services, revivals, or speaking sessions, I don’t want “filler songs” that are just okay. I don’t want to waste time by telling too many funny stories or playing games too much. I want to INVEST the time I have to speak, the worship songs we do, the videos we play, or the student interaction we have by making EVERY SINGLE SECOND COUNT. I try to cut the fat out of my sermon…do the goofy games/videos and stuff before and after service. Why? Because we’re here to INVEST every ounce of Jesus into these people! Every ounce of wisdom, knowledge, passion, and insight that we can in a short amount of time—there’s no time to have “filler” anything. I want to choose an investment mindset over spending, filling, or wasting.

If I’m driving in the car, maybe I need to invest my time by making phone calls or maybe sometimes I need to invest my time by turning everything off and praying. I want to invest my sleeping hours by getting the best rest I can, the appropriate amount and for it not to be restless. When somebody’s catching a ride with me, I want our conversation to MATTER in the Kingdom of God…I want to learn from them and care for them in the BEST ways.

Thinking like this has helped me not to feel as worn out as I used to, which I think is because I’m energized by spending my time on the right things. I leave the meeting, my house, the service feeling satisfied, because I made my BEST effort at investing in the BEST things.

Begin to look at using your time as doing one of three things: you’re either wasting it, spending it, or INVESTING it. I hope you’ll invest every bit of energy and time God gives you today by doing the BEST things with everything you’ve got! Lord, make us better stewards of the time You give us.

Tommy is the Discipleship Pastor at The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville. He is married to his wonderful wife, Jessica, and they have two beautiful daughters, Anna Claire and Emily. Tommy gets the opportunity to speak all over the country and is passionate about discipleship and sharing the truths of God’s Word in a relevant and challenging way.

Known for the D6 Conference and D6 Curriculum, Randall House helps lead the family ministry conversation. Randall House provides events, opportunities and resources to help you do generational discipleship at church and at home. For more information, visit randallhouse.com.